Spasagna

So this pregnancy I haven't had any crazy cravings like you hear some people have.  Like craving laundry detergent, pickles everyday, or I've even heard of some ladies craving dirt?!!!! Weird I know!  But one thing that I have found myself wanting to eat on a regular basis is Spaghetti. 

I absolutley love the combination of marinara and brown butter with mizithra cheese that they have at Spaghetti Factory.  I actually made a version of it the other day that I will share with you at a later time.  But I have to say that this version of spaghetti has become one of our families favorties!  I got the recipe from one of my good blogging buddies Brandie over at The Country Cook. Can I just say that Brandie has so many delicious and quite easy to make recipes that always has me coming back to her blog on a regular basis.  This dish is so full of flavor, so easy to put together, and will easily feed a family of six.

Recipe:

1 lb spaghetti noodles

1 (26oz) jar of your favorite marinara sauce

1 (16oz) jar favorite alfredo sauce

1 lb ground beef or ground turkey

1/2 cup milk

2 cups shredded mozzarella

1 tsp. dried oregano

1 tsp. dried parsely flakes

Cook spaghetti as directed on package.  Preheat oven to *350.  In a large bowl combine the alfredo sauce, milk, shredded cheese, and spices.  When noodles are done cooking, drain them completely then mix them into the alfredo mix.  Lightly grease a 9x13 baking dish and pour the noodles into the pan, cover with foil, and bake for 30 minutes.

While the noodles are baking, cook up the meat till no longer pink.  Drain meat of any excess fat then return to pan.  Stir in the marinara sauce and heat through. Cover and keep on low heat till noodles are ready.

After noodles are done baking, let them sit for about 5-10 minutes.  Cut the noodles into squares and top with some of the marinara meat mixture and sprinkle a bit of parmesan cheese over the top.  Serve with a green salad and some french bread!

Recipe Source: Brandie @ The Country Cook

Pesto Tortellinni Salad with Tomatoes and Artichokes

So The Hubs has been out of town for a few days now so I thought I would indulge in some much needed girl food!  At least thats what he would call it.  The fact that its a pasta dish that is quite healthy, falls under the category "Girl Food" in his book.  So I take every opportunity that I have to cook something light and fresh and eat it for lunch and dinner and maybe a snack inbetween. 

And can I just say this dish is just that! With fresh cherry tomatoes, marinated artichoke hearts, fresh mozzarella, and delicious cheese stuffed tortellini tossed in Pesto. You really can't go wrong here.  This is a great Pasta Salad for parties or get togethers also.

Recipe:

1 (12oz) bag frozen tortellini

1 (10oz) carton of cherry tomatoes

1 (6.5oz) jar of marinated artichoke hearts

1 (6.5oz)store-bought jar Pesto with Basil  (or you can use homemade Pesto)

6 oz of fresh mozzarella (cubed)

Cook the tortellini as directed on package.  Drain the pasta and let cool for about 5-10 minutes.  Next, dice the marinated artichoke hearts and fresh mozzarella into bite sized pieces.  In a large bowl, combine all ingredients and toss till everything is well coated with Pesto.  Store this dish in the refrigerator for up to 2-3 days.  

Bruschetta

Bruschetta is by far one of my very favorite appetizers!  It is so light and full of flavor, I absolutely just love it.  So I had an intense craving for it the other day so I ventured out to grab the ingredients and I whipped up a quick batch for lunch.  Needless to say, my craving was definitely fixed :)  This bruschetta recipe that I made is very simple to make, requires very few ingredients, and is quite the healthy little meal if you ask me :)

We are headed to Disneyland today to take the little munchkin for her first time! We will be back at the end of the week with some new posts! Hope you all have a great week!!!

Recipe:

1 Loaf Italian French Bread (sliced thin)

1 clove garlic (minced)

3 Tbsp. Olive Oil (I used Bertoli)

1/4 cup shredded parmesan cheese

3-4 roma tomatoes (diced into small cubes)

1 (8oz) ball fresh Mozzarella Cheese (cubed small)

1/3 cup fresh basil (sliced very thin)

2-3 Tbsp. Balsamic Vinegar

Slice the bread into thin slices.  Press the clove of garlic into 1 Tbsp. of the olive oil.  Give it a good stir.  Using a pastry brush, brush the garlic oil over the bread slices then sprinkle shredded parmesan cheese over the top of each piece of bread.  Place under the broiler till the cheese is melted and the bread is nice and crispy.

Next, rinse off the tomatoes and basil.  Dice the tomatoes into small cubes.  Roll the basil up and slice into thin pieces.  Next, cut the mozzarella into small cubes.  Place the tomatoes, basil, and mozzarella into a bowl and drizzle with 1-2 Tbsp of Olive Oil.  Season with salt and pepper.  Give it all a good toss and set aside while the bread cooks.

When the bread is done, scoop 2 Tbsp. the bruschetta mixture over the top of each piece off bread and lightly drizzle balsamic over the top of each piece.  Enjoy!

Italian Pork Chops

For my birthday last year, my mother gave me a copy of this wonderful cookbook Family Comfort Favorites by Kim Warren.  This recipe book is FULL of Kim's family's favorite recipes.  I don't know about you, but I love when one of my friends shares with me one of their families secret recipes!  Recipes that are passed down from generation to generation are always keepers in my book!  And I feel that this book is just that!  I have tried many of her recipes and so far I have yet to be let down.  

I have made these Italian Pork Chops a few times since I got this book, and can I just say that they are soooooo good!  My whole family has loved them too!  Plus you throw them in your crock pot and let the slow cooker do all the work for you :)

Recipe:

4-6 Bone-in pork chops

1 (14oz) can Tomato Sauce

1 clove garlic (minced)

1-1/2 tsp fresh Oregano (or 1/2 tsp. dried)

1 red bell pepper (chopped)

1 yellow or orange bell pepper (chopped)

8-12 large button or crimini mushrooms

4-6 large slices Fresh Mozzarella cheese (1 for each pork chop)

Garlic Powder

Onion Powder

Salt & Pepper 

Generously season pork chops with the garlic & onion powder, and salt & pepper.  In a large saute pan, brown both sides. (about 1-2 minutes per side)  Place the chops into the slow cooker.  

In a small bowl, combine the tomato sauce, garlic, oregano, and a pinch of pepper.  Pour over the top of the chops, cover and let cook for 7-8 hours on low.

Seed the peppers, and cut into 6-8 slices.  Clean and stem the mushrooms.  With 1-2 hours of cooking time remaining, add peppers and mushrooms to slow cooker.  Lastly, with 5-10 minutes of cooking time left, place 1 slice of fresh mozzarella on top of each pork chop and replace the cover allowing the cheese to melt.  

To serve, top each pork chop with some peppers and mushrooms and some of the tomato sauce form the pot and serve with rice.  Enjoy!

(Recipe Source: Family Comfort Favorites Cookbook)

Smokey Mac N Cheese

(Unfortunately I forgot to take a picture with all the toppings!  This was taken while the bacon was cooking right before it went into the oven.)

Everyone knows that Mac N Cheese is definitely one of the best comfort foods!  I absolutely love the stuff!  How can you not love noodles that have just been SMOTHERED in creamy cheese!  Well, when my husband and I celebrated our 4th anniversary a couple of weeks ago, we ate dinner at the lovely Flemings restaurant, and we had the most delicious chipotle mac and cheese and I knew at once that I had to try and recreate it.  

So I did my research and came across this great recipe by The Neely's.  They have so many great comfort recipes to choose from.  I made just a few changes to the recipe that I will list below that I feel make the dish a bit more like the one we had at Flemings Steakhouse.  I think you will all enjoy this delicious version of Mac N Cheese.

Recipe:

• 6 tablespoons butter
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 4 cups milk, warm
• 1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• Dash salt and freshly ground black pepper
• Dash hot sauce
• Dash Worcestershire sauce
• 2 cups shredded Cheddar
• 1 cup smokey cheddar cheese
• 1 pound cavatappi pasta, cooked al dente
• 1 cup crushed potato chips (I used cheddar and sour cream ruffles)
• 5 slices cooked bacon, crumbled
• 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan, for topping

Directions

Heat oven to 350 degrees F.

Melt 6 tablespoons butter in a large saucepot over medium heat. Add flour and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Whisk in the warmed milk and bring to a boil, continue to whisk constantly. The mixture will thicken as the heat increases. Continue to stir while adding

the dry mustard, nutmeg, cayenne, salt, pepper, hot sauce and Worcestershire. Stir in the 3 cups of Cheddar until it melts.

Pour the cheese sauce over the noodles and add to a 3 quart casserole dish.

Sprinkle the chips, bacon and Parmesan on top and bake for 35 minutes.

Chicken Carbonara

I have been searching for a good Carbonara Recipe since I can remember!  After much searching and not finding anything that I was very pleased with, I decided to make up my own and the results I must say were quite good!

I wanted something a bit spicy but full of flavor and I feel that this was the best of both worlds.  If your not a spicy fan, that's totally fine just omit that part and I think you should still have great results!

Recipe:

2 large boneless skinless chicken breasts 

1/4 cup Olive Oil

1 pound Linguine Noodles

4 cloves garlic (minced)

1/2 of a red onion (diced)

1/2 cup bacon (diced)

4 (oz) jar diced sun-dried tomatoes

1/2 cup mushrooms (sliced)

2 whole eggs

1/2 cup Smoked white cheddar (shredded)(should be able to find this in your cheese section of your local grocery store)

1/4 cup white cheddar (shredded)

1/4 cup parmesan cheese (shredded & divided)

1 cup chicken Stock

1/2 cup Heavy Cream

1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper

1 Tbsp. Ground black pepper

salt to taste

Place the olive oil into a large saute pan over medium heat.  Place the diced onion into the oil and saute for a few minutes.  Add in the chopped up bacon and stir till the bacon is slightly crisp.  Toss in the minced garlic and stir till the garlic becomes fragrant.  Remove from heat and place onto a paper towel lined plate.

Return the pan to medium heat and add the diced chicken to the bacon grease and cook till no longer pink in the center (about 8-10 minutes).  While the chicken is cooking, bring a large pot of water to a boil and toss the linguine in the boiling water and cook for 8 minutes (till al dente).

While the noodles/chicken are cooking, take a large bowl, one that the pasta will be served in, and crack both of the eggs into it.  Whisk together the eggs, pepper, cheese, and cayenne pepper.  Set aside.

When the chicken is done cooking, remove it from the pan.  Place the pan back over the heat for 30 seconds then add in the chicken broth (it may sizzle a bit but that's what you are going to want. It will pick up all the yummy bits of bacon and flavor on the pan and add it to the sauce.  To the broth, add back the onion/bacon mixture, toss in the sliced mushrooms, sun-dried tomatoes, and the heavy cream and let simmer for a few minutes.

As soon as the noodles are done cooking, drain any excess water, and immediately add the HOT noodles to the egg mixture and give it a good toss.  When the vegetables and broth are done simmering, pour over the noodles, throw in the chicken and stir till all is well combined.  Top with parsley and freshly grated parmesan cheese  Enjoy!

Mozzarella Stuffed Meatball Sandwiches

I am so glad I stumbled upon this genious idea of mozzarella stuffed meatballs over at Picky Palate.  The Hubs and I LOVE meatball sandwiches! LOVE THEM! We love them so much that we drove all the way to Salt Lake City 3 times in 1 week (from where we lived that was about 45 miles there and back) just to get a famous meatball sandwich at "Moochies Meatballs" (if your not familiar with Moochies, Moochies is a delicious little "Dive" from Diners Drives-Ins, and Dives or a.k.a. Triple D in our house, that is located in Salt Lake City)  If you haven't eaten there and live in Utah I highly suggest you eat there! And eat there soon! (Oh how I miss Moochies!) Anyways, Back to stuffed meatballs! When I saw this recipe I knew at once that I had to make it cause I knew The Hubs would Love it! And let me tell you, this is a definite repeat dish in our house! These sandwiches are soooooooo yummy! My photos can't even do these babies justice! I promise, take my word for it! Make these, even the kids will love the surprise center that is oh so melty and gooey in these meatballs!

(I know this isn't the greatest pic but can't you just see all that yummy mozzarella flowing out of the meatball! Yum!)

Recipe:

For the Meatballs:

2 Tbsp. Olive Oil

1 pound lean ground beef

1 large egg

1/2 cup finely chopped white onion

1/2 cup Panko bread crumbs

1/2 cup fresh grated parmesan cheese

1/4 cup milk

2 tablespoons minced garlic

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

1 tablespoon yellow mustard

1 teaspoon hot sauce, like Tabasco

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/4 teaspoon garlic salt

Ten 1-inch Mozzarella balls


For the Sandwich:
4 white sub rolls

4 slices of provolone cheese

Bottle of your favorite Marinara Sauce

(This is how The Hubs likes his, with pepperoni over the top, also really good!)

Mix together all of the ingredients above, except for the mozzarella balls.  Mix till well combined.  Next, take about 1/4 cup of the meat and form a ball. Taking your thumb, press down into the center of the meatball, and form what looks like a nest for the mozzarella ball to go.  Place 1 mozz ball into the center of each meatball, and form the meat around the ball, making sure that all of the sides are sealed nice and tight.

Place your stuffed meatballs into a lightly oiled baking dish, large enough to accomidate all of your meatballs. ( I used an 8x8)  Next place them into the oven at *350 and bake for 30-35 minutes or until the meatballs are cooked all the way through.

Take 4 sub Rolls, slice them in half, lengthwise, and place 2-3 meatballs on each roll. Pour a little of your favorite marinara sauce over the top of the meatballs, a slice of provolone cheese, and place under the broiler till the cheese melts (about 1-2 minutes)

Enjoy!!!


(Recipe Source: Picky Palate)

Italian Stuffed Peppers

Growing up as a kid I was a PICKY eater.  Seriously, I really didn't like any vegetable (which I know most kids don't) but I REALLY didn't. I even lied most of my childhood and told my mom that I was allergic to corn just so I wouldn't have to eat it. What a horrible kid ha!!! Now that I am a mom and my child is more picky than I ever was, I get a taste of what my poor mother went through trying to figure out what to feed us dang kids! 

Anyways, stuffed peppers were really not my favorite dish growing up, but the older I have gotten the more foods I have really grown to love and stuffed peppers just happens to be one of those dishes that I love now. This recipe is a combination of my mom's and one that I found browsing the web. Both great recipes, but meshed together I think just may be my favorite! 

Recipe:

4-5 large bell peppers

1/2 pound ground beef 

1/2 pound ground sausage (I prefer Jimmy Deans Hot sausage, gives it a kick of heat) 

1 1/2 cups cooked rice (brown or white, I usually use brown)
1 Tbsp. olive oil

1/2 of an onion (diced)
3  garlic cloves (minced)
2 (8 oz) cans tomato sauce
1 (14 oz) can diced tomatoes (not drained)
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 tsp. dried basil
3/4 cup parmesan cheese
Salt and Pepper

Brown the meats in a large sauce pan over medium heat till no longer pink.  Drain fat.  In a separate pan, saute the onion in the oil over low-med heat until soft. Add in 2 minced garlic cloves and cook for 1 more minute. Combine with the cooked meat.

While the meat is cooking, mix together the tomato sauce, tomatoes, heavy cream, basil and last garlic clove in a pot over low heat.  Stir occasionally.

Cook the rice as directed. Add the rice and the parmesan cheese to the meat mixture and pour in 1/2 cup of tomato sauce. Stir well.

Wash the peppers and slice off the tops and clean out all the seeds and ribs.  Fill each pepper to the top with the meat mixture. Place all the filled peppers into a baking dish that allows them to stand upright. (I used an 8x8)  Next, spoon a little of the sauce over each pepper, then pour the remaining sauce into the bottom of the dish.

Bake @ *400 for 25 min uncovered then covered with foil for another 25 minutes. Garnish with parmesan cheese and fresh basil or parsley.

(Recipe Sources: My mom and Tasty Kitchen-How Sweet Eats)

Spicy Tomato Pasta with Goat Cheese

I came across this delicious pasta over at the Emily's sweet blog So Domesticated.  This pasta is so flavorful and SO easy to put together. Honestly it takes like 15 minutes from start to finish. Now that's my kind of meal, quick and easy to throw together and so yummy to eat!!! I made a few tiny changes to my liking but some of you may not be goat cheese fans which is totally fine you can just leave the cheese off if you prefer. Try this pasta you will not be disappointed!

Recipe:
2 Tbsp. Olive Oil
1/2 of one Yellow Onion (diced)
1 (14oz) can Chicken Broth
1 (15oz) can Tomato Sauce
3 Tbsp. Tomato Paste
2 small Garlic Cloves (minced)
1 cup Half & Half
1 1/4 tsp. Thyme (dried)
1 tsp. Salt
1/2 tsp. Black Pepper
1/4 tsp. Chili Pepper Flakes
1 lb. Linguine Noodles
Goat Cheese for topping (melts into the pasta it's so yummy)

Bring a large pot of water to boil. Add in Linguine and cook to packages directions (about 10-11 min) Meanwhile, in a large saucepan, heat oil over medium heat. Add the diced onion and saute till soft (about 2-3 min.)
Add in tomato sauce, broth, tomato paste, garlic and Half & Half. Stir till well combined.  Now add in seasonings and turn heat to low and let simmer while the noodles cook. When noodles are done cooking,  drain and pour into the sauce. Top pasta off with 1 Tbsp. Goat Cheese and stir it into the hot pasta. It adds such a yummy creamy flavor that our family just loved! You can serve this with a green salad and some french bread for dipping.

Casserole Italiano

(Its hard to tell from this picture, but this dish is so yummy!)

We love this casserole in our house. It's total comfort food and its such an easy dish to throw together for those days that you don't have much time.

Recipe:
1 lb. Sausage (We like things a bit spicy in our house so we use hot sausage but you can use any flavor)
1 small onion (diced)
2-3 garlic cloves (minced)
2 cans tomato soup
1/2 tsp. Dried Oregano
1/4 cup water
4 oz cream cheese
1/2 cup cheese (shredded, we use what ever kind of cheese we have on hand usually cheddar or mozzerella)
Pinch of salt & pepper
Bread Crumbs for topping

Cook the meat in a large skillet on med. heat till no longer pink. Drain Fat.  Saute the onion and garlic for about 2-3 minutes.  Add the meat back to the skillet with the onions and garlic and turn the heat to low.  Stir in the soup, seasonings, and water and stir till well combined.  Now add in the cream cheese and stir till melted.  Remove from heat.  Stir in the shredded cheese and pour into a lightly greased casserole dish. Top with bread crumb and little shredded cheese. Bake @ *350 for 25-30 minutes. Serve with a green salad or veggie of choice.
*If your not sausage fans, you can sub out the sausage for hamburger meat or add no meat at all. Totally your preference. All of the above are good.

Zesty Italian Chicken

I snatched up this recipe from one of my good friends Maloree.  I remember walking into her house one day and it smelling absolutely divine.  She was kind enough to share this recipe with me so I thought I would be kind and share it with all of you!  Enjoy!!!

Recipe:

1 lb. of defrosted chicken breasts

2 14oz cans of diced tomatoes(undrained)

Bottle of zesty italian dressing

Lemon pepper for seasoning

Shredded Parmesan Cheese

Preheat oven to *400 degrees.  Place chicken breasts in a lightly greased 9x13 baking dish. Sprinkle chicken with lemon pepper. Then pour the diced tomatoes over the top of the chicken and finishing it off with the bottle of Italian dressing. Pop it into the oven and bake for 1 hour. The last 5 min of baking sprinkle top of chicken with parmesan cheese. Serve over angel hair pasta or rice. (we prefer it over brown rice but it's just as amazing over noodles too)